Rivals or Friends?
by Ninja-Consultant
Summary: High school has started up again, and both Conner and Max must make choices that could have a large impact later on. A four part story. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Also, if you have not read my other stories, it would be helpful to do so before reading this one. The chronology goes: Brothers in Arms, Where Do We Go From Here, Tragedies of the Past, Betrayal From Within, Future Sins, Reestablishing Bonds, Parents and Children, and New Allies.

Rivals or Friends, chapter 1

"It's ridiculous that we have to do this," Conner complained. "They have our records; why can't they just assign us to where they know we belong? This is a waste of time."

"Now, Conner," Martha chided him. "You know that the school year isn't the only thing the guidance counselors want to talk to you about. They also want to talk about your future. It's not too early to think about college."

"How are we going to pay for college?" Conner asked. "It's expensive."

"Don't worry about that," Jonathan said. "We managed for Clark; we'll find a way for the two of you."

"You shouldn't have to worry about money," Martha said.

"I have access to accounts that can pay for it," Max informed him. "There's more than enough for wherever you wish to go."

"Where'd you get that money?" Jonathan asked.

"Some of it was the Contessa's. The rest of it was what I earned with the Groups. It was meant for living expenses, but mine were minimal, and I saved the rest."

"We should get going," Martha informed them. "I know I don't need to remind you to be polite!"

* * *

The counselor was running late, so she had taken both boys into her office at the same time. Normally, that didn't happen, but since they were family, she asked whether it would be okay. Neither Conner nor Max had any objections. 

The counselor looked at their records. "You both did very well at the end of last year. I'm going to recommend that you enter the honors program. Not only will it go at a pace you should find more challenging, but it looks good on a college applications!"

"That sounds like a good idea," Conner said.

"Yes, it does," Max agreed. "It will be a little more interesting."

"If the two of you keep your grades at the same level in these new classes, I think you can really compete for the top place in your class," the counselor told them.

"We wouldn't really be competing against each other, would we?" Max asked.

"You'd be getting a rank in the class, and both of you would be in the running for first with those grades. I may be getting ahead of myself here, but you both did so well that if you continue to excel, you'll be within the top five at least."

She continued, "On the behavior side of things, I'm happy to see that there was a marked improvement. Conner, you seem to have had a few rough spots early on, but I guess Max helped you out when he came."

Max chuckled. "If anything, it's the opposite. Conner's helped me out so many times. He's the good one of the family, not me."

"I wish you wouldn't say that," Conner objected. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You also help me a lot more than you think."

"Do either of you have plans for college yet?" the counselor asked. "It's not too early to think about it!"

"I want to go, but I haven't looked at where or to study what yet," Conner said. "I was going to start getting information this year, probably focusing on places strong in the sciences."

The counselor smiled. "I have some suggestions that I can give you later. What about you, Max?"

"I haven't looked into where I'd like to go yet," Max replied. "However, I'm considering a triple major in computer sciences, political science, and psychology."

"That's very...ambitious," she said. "That will be a lot of work. Are you sure that you want to tackle all of that at once? I think it'd be wiser to focus on one and just take courses in the other two."

"I'm confident that I could do it without any problems," Max replied.

"Well, that's in the future. For right now, you've got high school to finish."

* * *

"I don't think she thought I was serious," Max commented as he and Conner walked to the Kent's shop. "She seemed to think that it was an unreasonable statement." 

"If I didn't know you, I'd say that it was an unreasonable statement," Conner responded. "Not everyone knows that you blow through your homework in ten minutes, run ten miles every day before breakfast, and cook gourmet meals all on three or four hours of sleep."

"You make it sound like that's a lot more than it actually is," Max said, as the two headed towards the school's front doors.

The two walked around a group of new students undergoing orientation. One of the students did a double take and focused his attention on Max. He and Conner continued outside without taking notice.

"I don't think you were that interested in the sciences," Max commented to Kon. "You've got a knack for them, but I was dreading that you'd say you wanted to major in business."

"No, I think my interests lie in biology or chemistry," was Conner's response. "I guess I picked up a bit from Serling, and I've been interested in the life sciences since then. I didn't pick you for being interested in political science."

"I like to keep current on geopolitical trends and the like. I guess my time with the intelligence community has left me with a similar interest."

There was a pause as they continued walking.

"I can't believe she thought I was the good one," Max said.

"You're polite, quiet, and well-mannered," Conner pointed out. "On the other hand, I ditched a lot and was generally anti-social for my first few months here. From her point of view, you're the one that straightened me out."

"I'd say that I'm anti-social," Max argued. "I don't talk to many people other than you."

"That may be the case, but you weren't rebellious like me. It's okay; I don't mind being the problem child."

"It just doesn't reflect reality at all. You're the good one, I'm the bad one."

Conner ruffled Max's hair. "You're not the bad any more."

"Stop that," Max said, smoothing his hair. "Otherwise I'll show you how bad I can be."

Conner grinned at Max's teasing.

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Rivals or Friends, chapter 2

"You know, you're being watched," Conner told Max.

Max paused before taking a bite of his lunch. "I know."

The one who was turning every so often to keep an eye on Max was the new student who had done a double take when he saw him at orientation. He was a bit shorter than average, but Conner noticed that he practically strutted when he walked. He hadn't been able to find out the new student's name yet.

"Do you know why he's watching you? Is he just a student, or is he some sort of secret agent sent to spy on you?"

Max smiled briefly. "He's no agent. If he were, he should be sent back to training. He's not very good at keeping his reactions in check."

"Why do you think he's watching you?"

"I have my suspicions. From the way he walks, I'd say he's a martial artist. He may have identified me as one from the way I walk."

Conner thought about it. "You don't walk the way he does. It's more of a glide than a strut."

Max nodded. "Most people don't notice."

"Ah, here he comes," Conner said as the boy approached.

Up close, Conner could see that the new student was a little broader in the shoulders than he originally thought. His baggy clothes concealed this, but it was more apparent as he got close. He also noticed that the boy's blond hair was cut short, but spiky.

"I want to fight you," the boy told Max.

Fortunately, his voice didn't carry far; otherwise they would have been at the center of a spectacle.

Max smiled and held out his hand. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Max Kent. Who are you?"

The boy blinked in confusion, and Conner kept his expression neutral. Max was at it again, being unpredictable and throwing the new student off balance. Conner sympathized with him; Max still did the same thing to him.

He took the hand carefully. "I'm Dan. You did hear me, right?"

Max nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. This is my brother, Conner."

Conner nodded in acknowledgement when Dan looked at him. Dan nodded back and turned to Max.

"I want to fight you," he repeated. "I know you're a martial artist."

"I can tell that you're one too," Max said. "But do you always go around challenging other martial artists? It's not really that great of a hobby. It can be dangerous."

"I want to see how good I am. The way to do that is to test myself against other martial artists. Will you fight me?"

Conner shot Max a startled look as he said, "I will. However, I don't want to fight on school grounds. I don't need this to give me a reputation as a troublemaker."

"Where, then?"

"How about we go to our place after school? There shouldn't be anyone there to interfere."

"Max, you can't be serious," Conner interjected.

"Jonathan and Martha are always telling us we should bring people home. Plus, there are medical supplies if we need them."

"That sounds great," Dan grinned. "You better not try to slip away."

After Dan left, Conner turned to Max. "What are you thinking? You could seriously hurt him. I expected you to find some way out of it. Instead, you encouraged him."

"It just would have gotten him angry if I tried to avoid it. When he confronted me head on, I didn't have a lot of room to evade. It would have been insulting. Besides, he seems like a nice guy."

"I can't believe you said that. The first thing he did was challenge you to a fight. How do you get 'nice guy' out of that?"

"I know two people who fought when they first met," Max recalled. "It was a pretty intense fight, but they went on to become very close."

Conner made a face. "I don't think that it's a parallel situation."

Max shrugged. "We'll see. You could be right."

* * *

Max found Dan after school ended, and the three walked back to the Kent's farm. Conner was amazed that Max acted like nothing was unusual and did his usual further explanation of what was taught at school. He also asked Dan how his day was and whether he found Smallville High acceptable. Conner could tell that it was getting Dan a bit angry since it looked like Max wasn't thinking him seriously. 

"We're here," Max announced, as they came to the Kent's farm. "Let's go behind the barn; there's no reason to give the neighbors something to gossip about."

"Or to let them see something to tell Jonathan and Martha," Conner said dryly.

They went behind the barn, and Dan dropped his books and took a fighting stance. Max calmly placed his backpack on the ground and turned to face him, bringing his hands up in a guard that Conner knew from experience looked casual, but offered him flexibility and a nearly impenetrable defense for someone of Max's speed.

"Until someone's down?" Max asked.

"Yeah," Dan replied. "Ready?"

"Go," Max said.

Conner was impressed at Dan's abilities. He was probably a bit more skilled than Conner and pretty fast. Some quick punches were blocked or dodged by Max.

"Pretty good defense," Dan acknowledged. "But, I'm just getting started."

Dan threw a flurry of punches and kicks, but Max blocked or evaded them all.

"Your technique is defensive," Dan remarked. "I guess I'm too quick for you to counter."

In an instant, Max charged forward, landing a single blow in Dan's stomach. Dan's eyes glazed over.

"Not really," replied Max. "I was just waiting for an opening."

Dan fell over, unconscious.

"That was it?" Conner asked. "One punch?"

Max shrugged as he picked Dan up. "It was a good punch."

* * *

Dan woke to a wonderful smell. There was something very being cooked that almost distracted him from the fact that an ice pack was on his stomach. He groaned as he remembered what had happened; Max had taken him down with one punch! 

His groan must have been louder than he thought it was, because Max came out of the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" the white-haired teen asked. "You've been out for about an hour."

Dan shifted to see than he had been laid out on a couch and someone had removed his sneakers and socks.

"I can't believe you took me out with one hit," Dan said. "That was incredible!"

Max took the ice pack off of Dan's stomach and gently ran his fingers over it. He nodded.

"You should be fine," Max said. "You might be a little sore, but it should go away in a few hours. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Dan gawked at Max. "I challenge you to a fight, you floor me with a single hit, and now you're inviting me to dinner? I really don't understand you at all. Is this some sort of cruel joke?"

For some reason that Dan could not figure out, Max flinched at that last statement. "It's no joke. I'm cooking now, so if you'd like to stay, it's no problem to make more."

Dan nodded in confusion. "Sure. I'll need to call my dad first, to let him know where I am."

Max smiled. "The phone's in the kitchen. Follow me."

Dan entered the kitchen which was full of wonderful smells. Max handed him the phone and then went back to the stove, mixing the contents of a few pots.

Dan dialed a number. He let his father know where he was and how to get in contact with him. He considered what sort of reaction he'd get from the adults of this house.

Conner stopped by. "Hey, you're up. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," Dan said. "I'm kind of confused why your brother's being so nice."

"If you ever figure him out, let me know. I'm still surprised by a lot of what he does. By the way, I don't think I ever caught your last name."

"It's Reiner. Is this going to be okay with your parents?"

"They're our uncle and aunt," Conner corrected. "It should be okay with them; they've always been on us to invite people over. I'm not sure they expected it to be like this though."

Dan looked a little guilty. "Will they get angry at you for fighting? I don't want to get you in any trouble."

Max chuckled. "You say that now. You wanted to kick my butt earlier."

"That's not- I mean- okay, you're right. I wanted to see how good you were. You're a lot better than me. I've been training for a few years, and I thought I was pretty good."

"You are," Max said as he continued to stir the contents of one of the pots. "It's just that I've been doing this for my whole life. But, to answer your earlier question, the Kents will be disappointed. I'll probably get lectured."

"You don't have to tell them, you know," Conner told him. "You don't tell me stuff all the time."

"That's because I have a good idea of what you'd do. A lecture isn't so bad. There are far worse punishments. Besides, I have to uphold my part of being the bad one."

"Will you quit with that? You're not the 'bad one.' You're just Max."

"Will you train me?" Dan blurted out. "I want to get better, and you're the best I've ever seen. Please accept me as your student."

Max stared at him for a second. "You cannot be serious."

Conner blinked. That could cause all sorts of problems if Dan hung around them a lot, but Max would get contact with someone else, which was good.

"You'll want to watch out," he said. "Max made me meditate under a waterfall. Who knows what other teaching techniques he has?"

"If you've already taught your brother, then you can teach me as well," Dan reasoned. "Please, sensei, accept me as your student."

"First of all," Max began, as he returned to tending the food, "we do not use a few Japanese words in a sentence. If you want to speak entirely in Japanese, you can do so; I'm fluent. Second of all, I'm not much of a teacher. I learned...in a highly unconventional way that I can't and wouldn't repeat."

Conner briefly wondered if implanting knowledge would ever catch on or whether it was ultimately limited to clones.

"You didn't teach Conner this way, did you?" Dan asked. "If you taught him a certain way, then you can teach me the same way."

"He's got a point," Conner said. "It wasn't for what you'd be teaching Dan, but there are other ways. You know them."

Max sighed. "I can't believe you're ganging up on me."

Dan frowned. "Is it that you don't like me? I'm sorry if I came off as a jerk; I don't make good first impressions."

"You're not the only one," Conner said, dryly.

"I thought you had let that go," Max said. "I did apologize for that. I'm better than when we first met."

"Wait, didn't the two of you grow up together?" Dan asked. "I thought you were twins."

"We are," Max replied. "Different people raised us. We only met a couple of years ago and have been under the same roof for about nine months."

"You are avoiding his question," Conner said. "Why don't you teach him? He seems like a nice guy, even if he is a little too enthusiastic."

Max chopped up some beef and put it in one of the pots before answering. "I'll give it a try. However, if I don't think it's working out, I'll stop it."

"That's great!" Dan said, grinning. "You won't be sorry!"

Conner gave Max a half-smile in approval. He could tell that having a friend would get his brother to loosen up.

* * *

After introducing Dan to Jonathan and Martha, dinner began as it had for the last couple of months: Max revealed the dishes and explained what it was and where it came from. This night's dish was a beef recipe from the south of France. 

"This is really good!" Dan exclaimed after taking a bite.

"Excellent as always," Martha said with a smile. "You're spoiling us with these gourmet meals."

Max shrugged. "I had the choice between making meals with lots of flavor or ones that are plain. I'm not going to let flavor scare me off."

"I wouldn't have expected you to make something so fancy," Dan admitted. "I guess I thought since you're a martial artist, you'd eat a lot of plainer things."

"These dishes are all quite healthy," Max explained. "They may have a lot of flavor, but that's irrespective of their healthiness. I'm being very careful about that."

"You don't have to do that," Jonathan grumbled. "I'm a lot better than I used to be. Minding the store is a lot easier than keeping the farm going. But you make everything taste so good that I wonder what an unhealthy dish you made could taste like."

"I think that's a curiosity best left unsatisfied," Martha said. "I've seen some of what Max puts into the healthier versions of dishes he makes, and I know that he's substituting for less healthy ingredients."

"Like what?" Dan asked.

"I use yogurt instead of cream," Max said. "There are also a few things I substitute for lower salt versions. I'm also forced to use vinegar for wine because the stores won't let me buy any, and neither Jonathan nor Martha will buy it for me."

"You'll be able to buy it when you're older," Martha said. "You're doing just fine without it."

"I could make my own," he stated. "I can get all of the ingredients to do so. There are a few additional items I would need to affect the taste and coloring, but I think I could manage a substitute."

"You're forgetting that we know all the places you can hide things," Jonathan said with a smile. "Clark helped point out where he used to hide things he didn't want us to see when you boys started to live with us."

"Who's Clark?" Dan asked.

"He's the Kent's son and a cousin to Max and me," Conner answered. "You'll see his face and name attached to all sorts of awards at school. He's around twenty years older than me."

"He now works for the Daily Planet in Metropolis," Max added. "He's a reporter there and is married to Lois Lane, a Pulitzer-prize winning investigative reporter. I think that covers the short version."

"I have photo albums if you're interested," Martha volunteered.

"Um, maybe another day," Dan said. "I'm going to have to go home soon."

"What about your family?" Jonathan asked. "Any brothers or sisters? What do your parents do?"

"It's just my dad and me," Dan said. "He's a mechanic."

"Oh, he must be the new mechanic at Fred's garage," Jonathan said. "I've heard good things about his work. Where did you live before and what brought you to Smallville?"

"I've been all over the Midwest," Dan said. "I've spent time in Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Chicago. Dad's pretty much gone where the work is. He came here because he got a recommendation from a friend of Mr. Steadler's. I'm hoping that he'll have this job long enough for me to finish high school."

"If you ever need anything, just ask," Martha said. "We'll be happy to help."

"Thank you," Dan said, smiling.

Max got the feeling that there was something else behind that smile. It didn't seem to be that sincere compared to the smile on his face after he had successfully argued to be trained. He had the feeling that there was something left unsaid.

"When do you wish to begin training?" he asked. "Do you have anything in your schedule that I should avoid?"

"Any time is fine with me," Dan said eagerly.

"What sort of training is this?" Martha asked.

"Martial arts training," Dan answered. "Max is going to teach me."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of that," Martha began.

"I think I might join you," Conner said. "Dan looks like he's better than me, but I should learn some more techniques too."

"Bring workout gear here after school," Max said. "We'll start then."

-----

That went on a little longer than I originally thought it would.

There are generally two different kinds of stories that I do with these characters, the "Superboy and Match" ones where they're taking an active superhero role, and the "Conner and Max" ones where the story is more internally focused. This is a Conner and Max one.

Any and all comments welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Rivals or Friends, chapter 3

Conner thought it was good to have a third person at the lunch table. Max had the habit of going silent at times, leaving a conversation one-sided when it was just the two of them. Dan helped fill that gap. Plus, Dan was a very cheerful person, and that feeling was infectious.

After school, the three of them gathered at the Kent's farm, dressed in workout gear.

"First, I'm going to work on your endurance," Max informed them. "We're going to go on a five-mile run. I want to get a feel for how much I can push you before I really start in earnest."

"I'm surprised," Conner said. "I figured you'd have us hitting long grass or something odd like that."

"Grass is for cows," Max remarked. "We'll do some stretching exercises to warm up before we begin."

Conner was disturbed to see just how limber Max was. He knew he could be as flexible as his brother, but his higher muscle mass meant he wasn't. Dan was also surprised at how far Max could stretch.

They started running. Max let them set the pace which proved to be a lesson in its own right. Neither Conner nor Dan had much experience in running long distances, so they started out faster than they should have. While they were hardly staggering at the end, their pace had notably slowed. Conner gained a new appreciation for his powers; telekinetic flight wasn't physically taxing like long distance running.

"You should have paced yourselves better," Max remarked at the end, not out of breath at all.

"Why aren't you tired?" Dan panted.

"I run ten miles each morning," he explained.

"Ten? No way!"

Max smiled. "The first thing we're going to do is work on your endurance. I want you to be able to do five miles without any problems."

* * *

It took a couple of weeks, but Conner and Dan were eventually able to meet Max's goal. It helped that they were already in good shape; they just needed to learn how to pace themselves. This was important because Max informed them that there would be no random flailing or punches. They were to be disciplined and restrained. 

Dan also became a member of an impromptu study group. He wasn't in honors classes like Conner and Max, but there was a good deal of overlap between the subject matter in their classes. It helped Conner to explain other concepts to Dan, and Max made any corrections or helped Conner with things that gave him trouble.

Conner could tell that Max liked having Dan around. It wasn't that his outward manner changed, but he seemed comfortable with him. There weren't many people Max was comfortable with, and they were all ones that Max regarded as being close to him.

Before they went to bed one night, Conner remarked, "You're really starting to relax. You've begun making friends outside of your other identity. That's good."

Max paused before answering. "You're right. It's unusual of me. I know that I should be cautious and have run a background check on him. There is the possibility that he is not what he seems."

"I don't think you need to worry about it. Besides, you're finding out what he's capable of by having him near and coming into contact with him."

"There exists the possibility that it's an act."

"Now I'm regretting that I mentioned it to you."

"It's a very low possibility and not worth investigating."

"How'd you come up with that?"

"If he were an agent of some sort, he would have had his schedule match ours or moved to make it that way. At this point, he has not. He also does not have the physique of an adult, further reducing the probability that he's an agent."

"So, you're not going to run a background check."

"No. If he were coming into less contact with us, I might be more suspicious. However, at this time, I am not."

"Why are you comfortable around Dan? It took you a while to do that for everyone else."

Max paused before answering. "Perhaps it is because he has no preconceptions of me. It's not a case where we have a past as opponents or that I'm regarded as your clone. I believe knowing there are no preconceptions allows me to relax to a certain extent."

"So, because he doesn't expect anything, he frees you from having to deal with those expectations. Interesting."

"You're the only other one that I think I've adapted to this quickly since I left the Agenda."

"I think you had some personal issues to deal with before working out your relationship with me, and those took a while."

"Actually, it was that mission we did together for the Groups. Seeing you in danger like that did something to me. It's difficult to explain because I don't quite understand it myself."

"I don't think I've ever heard you admit that you didn't understand something. This may be a first."

"I don't like showing weakness," Max admitted.

"You don't have to be on your guard around me. We're family."

"I know."

"You like driving me crazy, don't you?" Conner accused. "You're trying to incite me. That's the only way you can explain this."

"I'm sorry," Max apologized. "I don't mean to do this. It's just the way I am. I'm trying to change."

Conner sighed. "I didn't mean to get angry. I know you're trying to change. It's just that you have this defensive shell that can drive me crazy. I know you don't mean to do it."

There was a pause, and Conner continued, "I think that making your own friend from scratch will help. Tim and Dick are great, but you got introduced to them by someone else. I think that starting a friendship without someone else giving you a basis will do you good."

Max sighed. "I'm emotionally stunted."

"You'll get better."

* * *

Conner was surprised that he had gotten along so well with Dan. He originally disliked him, on account of his wanting to fight Max. He grew on him, probably because he was so free and unguarded with his emotions. It was a refreshing change from Max and Tim. That wasn't to say that he appreciated them any less, it was just that their guardedness made their all-too-rare smiles that more valuable. 

"I'm becoming reflective," he muttered to himself. "Who would have thought of it?"

"Talking to yourself is rarely a good sign," Max commented.

"It's only bad when you answer back," Kon said with a smile.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Isn't that my line?"

"It normally is," Max acknowledged with a nod. "However, I am willing to listen to you as you have listened to me. It shouldn't be one-sided."

"I was thinking about how Dan has been like a breath of fresh air. He's very open with his feelings. It's nice to have an angst-free friend."

"In our line of work, it is rare to meet someone without some sort of tragedy lurking in his or her history. It's a very strong motivating factor. Dan is not part of that world and most likely does not have that sort of motivation."

Conner thought back to his friends from Hawaii. "It is certainly rarer. Sometimes it's nice to be around people who are comparatively carefree."

Max looked at his brother. "It makes me sometimes wonder why you didn't make a lot of friends at school before I came. You're certainly more outgoing than me and can be more sociable and charming."

"No, you see, I'm the bad one who's only become tolerable since my good brother came and helped me get my life in order."

Max frowned. "I wish you wouldn't say garbage like that, even in jest. Why didn't you adjust to school and make friends?"

"So now you're analyzing me. This really is a role-reversal."

"Yes, it is. You're even trying to avoid my questions, which makes it all the more a change of positions."

Conner gave Max a salute. "You are correct. I'm not sure why I didn't adjust to living here. Perhaps it was an act of teenage rebellion; I was used to living on my own."

"Perhaps the location was a contributing factor as well. I don't wish to speak ill of it because some people stay here their entire lives, but..."

"Smallville is a really boring place," Conner finished. "That may have had something to do with it. I was really glad to consistently get away on the weekends."

"I'm glad that you're happier."

"So am I."

-----

I apologize for the slow pace of this story. The next story I'm working on is a "Superboy and Match" one that focuses more on external events.

Any and all comments welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Rivals or Friends, chapter 4

Training had just finished, and Conner had left to take a shower. Dan and Max were alone in the barn.

"That new move you showed us was great!" Dan exclaimed. "It makes so much sense and fills in gaps to let me link a few moves!"

"I'm mixing disciplines, so most instructors wouldn't have put them together," Max said.

Dan looked at him. "There's something I want to admit to you, about why my dad and me have moved around so much."

Max gave him an encouraging look. "Go on."

"It's because...well, I like men."

Max nodded in comprehension. "I see. It's disappointing that there are still problems with tolerance in this day and age. It must have been very difficult for you and your family."

Dan breathed a sigh of relief. Max didn't have a bad reaction.

"There's something else I want to tell you. Will you come closer? I don't want anyone to overhear."

"Sure," Max said as he went over to him.

Dan kissed him and then said, "I think I've fallen for you."

Max froze.

"How do you feel about me?" Dan asked. "Do you think you could return my feelings?"

"I-I need to think about it," Max stammered.

Dan smiled. "I'll wait for your answer."

* * *

Conner could tell that Max was trying to work his way through something. He had that look where he was automatically doing his schoolwork, but his mind was really focused on something else. Conner guessed that it had something to do with Dan because he caught a momentary flash of confusion in Max's eyes when he saw him at lunch. 

Conner also caught a disappointed look on Dan's face when he saw that Max was preoccupied with something. Conner wanted to find out what was going on, but he decided that a public confrontation wouldn't be a good idea. He had other ways to get Max to talk.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" he asked Max that night.

"I'm thinking about something," was Max's reply.

"I can see that. I also see that it's got something to do with Dan. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I don't think sharing it would help."

Conner hazarded a guess. "He doesn't want you to enter an illegal, underground fighting tournament, does he? If that's the case, we'll have to make him understand that what you've been teaching him is for defense."

Max looked at Conner. "Where do you come up with this stuff? I think you've watched too many bad movies."

"So, are you going to tell me what the problem is, or should I continue guessing?"

"There's no problem. It's...he told me something of a personal nature, and I don't know what to do."

"He doesn't have a medical condition, does he? He's not about to enter critical care, right? Or rehab?"

"It's nothing like that. It's nothing illegal or life-threatening."

"I can only make wild guesses if you aren't going to be specific."

"I don't want to be specific," Max replied. "To do so would be...inappropriate."

"He didn't swear you to secrecy, did he?"

"No. However, I think that personal discretion is advised."

"Well, if you need help, I'm here for you."

* * *

Max was still trying to decide what to do the next day. Dan was disappointed, especially since it was Friday and he wouldn't see them until Monday. 

Conner was happy to drag Max off to the Titans because he was hoping that Max would be more open around the others, or that Tim would be able to figure something out.

An hour after everyone had arrived, Robin whispered to Kon, "What's up with Match?"

"A friend told him something, and he's been thinking about it for the last couple of days," Kon said. "He said that it's personal and that he doesn't think it's appropriate to discuss. He says that it's not anything illegal or life-threatening."

"He's clearly stumped. I'll try talking to him."

"Thanks. I hope you can get something out of him."

Robin tried talking to Match, but it didn't help. Conner had the idea of getting Raven to talk to him.

"His emotions might overpower her," Robin objected. "He holds so much in that I don't know if she can take it."

"All the more reason for her to do it," Kon countered. "I imagine she'll want this taken care of so it's not buzzing in the back of her head."

"You've got a point. Let's talk to her."

* * *

Match was sitting on the roof, staring over the ocean at nothing. He heard the door open and someone step onto the roof. 

"Hello, Raven," he called out without turning around.

"Hello, Match," she said as she walked over to him. "How did you know it was me without looking?"

"Your step's sound is very different from everyone else's here. That's how I identified you. I must apologize. I fear my emotional state has been rather unsettled lately. I didn't mean for it to bother you."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't, well, perhaps there is. Would you mind talking to me for a while?"

"Of course not," she replied as she sat next to him.

Match paused before beginning. "Logically, I know what I should do. There are too many things that could go wrong. There's a dispassionate case to be made against it."

Raven didn't bother to ask what 'it' was. If Match intended to tell her, she trusted that he would.

"You say that, but..."

"What?"

"I sense fear in you. Is it a fear of what would happen if you accepted it? Or is it a fear of something else?"

Match looked at her. "I'm not sure what you're trying to get at."

"Have you considered what would happen in you decided in favor of it?"

"Yes."

"How would it make you feel?"

"Happy. Nervous. Excited. You could probably add a few things to that."

"Yes, I could. You needed to hear that. Is it possible that you're scared of feeling that way?"

"I'm scared...of being happy is what you're saying?"

"You do have a tendency to think the worst of yourself."

Match looked at her thoughtfully. "Thank you, Raven. You've given me a lot to think about."

"Your emotional state has settled down. I hope this has helped."

* * *

Max sat on top of the roof and thought about what Raven said. Was he truly scared of being happy? He thought about it. Was he scared of being rejected? 

Yes, he was, he realized. He should be used to rejection since it seemed to happen so many times to him. The Agenda and Contessa had spurned any feelings of loyalty or affection he showed them. Superman had let his doubts surface when Kor-El had made accusations. Kor-El declared his desire to destroy him. He should be used to it, but it still hurt.

Why was he sure that Dan would reject him? It was the sense of inevitability that was causing him to be so tentative.

* * *

The next Monday, Max had finally come to a decision. However, he was unsure of how to communicate it to Dan. Dan saw this hesitation and drew his own conclusions. He acted a bit cool towards Max, and everyone could tell he was a bit angry. 

After training that afternoon, Conner went to shower, leaving the two of them alone. Dan was keeping a distance between him and Max.

"We need to talk," Max said, hesitantly.

"What's to say?" Dan spat. "You've made your decision, I can tell. I took a chance and got hurt. That's the way it goes. You're not into guys."

"Gender is irrelevant."

"You've still made your choice."

"Let me explain."

"What's to explain?" Dan said as he began to walk away.

"I was abused."

Dan came to a dead stop and turned to look at Max. "What?"

Max paused before continuing. "Before I lived with the Kents, I lived with people who...weren't as nice. I don't think I was very good and they...did things to show their displeasure. It must have been my fault."

"That's crap! It wasn't!"

Max shook his head. "It must have been. You've got this image of me where you think I'm this great guy. I'm not. I know that I'm not worthy of you."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"I'm sorry. I'm weak. You needed to know this before I saw what I'm going to."

Max swallowed before he continued. "If you still want to go out now that you know I'm no good, I want to. I'll be dragging you down, but I'm weak. I think I've fallen for you too."

Dan said, "Don't be ridiculous. You're not weak. You're not a bad person; you're a great guy."

Dan walked over and pulled Max into a kiss.

-----

Work on the next story, tentatively titled "Public Enemy Number One," has already begun. It's more in the vein of "Parents and Children" or "Future Sins."

I felt that Match deserved some happiness. Of course, this can also lead to tragedy; such is the way of comic book characters.

Any and all comments welcome!


End file.
